A Shifting of Fate
by Kadya
Summary: A mysterious young woman comes to Kora's at a talent contest, capturing the hearts of all around with the intent of leaving as quickly as she had come. Our young hero tries to unravel the mystery. Destiny, it seems, is not as linear as we thought.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with the "Young Hercules" series. That said, please just let me have my innocent fun with it and don't sue :)

This story is something I thought would be fun. I was reminded about the series the other day and couldn't help myself from jotting down a few words. Then a paragraph... and then more than a paragraph. Damn hands won't stop typing! Have fun and please review.

The air was crisp and cool. A soft breeze drifted through the academy windows invitingly. Many stared out them wistfully. It seemed like a waste of a day to be inside. It was torture to already have to hear about the history of architecture from their teacher, but to know that they could be having fun instead was too much.

A blonde, blue-eyed cadet was among those taking quick glances outside. He could make out his three friends around him doing the same things, but wasn't at all surprised to find Iolaus rapping his quill on his desk softly, sighing softly as Fidicius kept on with his lecture as if nothing was the matter. The old man obviously thought that the certain type of clay those from Crete used was fascinating. Hercules didn't know how more of this he could take.

Slightly dozing off, he began thinking of other things. Such as what Jason, Theseus, Iolaus, Lilith, and he were going to do that night. Kora was holding another talent contest, though this time the prize was nothing more than some fruit and a shining blue crystal pendent that looked rather tattered, chips of paint flaking off of it. It wasn't so much that the gang wanted the trinket, but they wouldn't mind the change in a menu. Academy food was just not enough to satisfy their appetites. Even Iolaus', Hercules noted. Iolaus volunteered to sing once again as Hercules and Jason played instruments in the background. Even Lilith was going to play along, though her instrument playing had some room for improvement. So they gave her a simple drum set for the beat. Hercules could almost taste the fruit already.

A scrapping of chairs brought him out of his trance. Class was over! Eagerly, he caught up to his three friends, noting their good moods as well.

"I'm telling you!" Iolaus voiced. "That food is in the bag! With my voice, who's going to beat us?"

"Glad to see you're not overconfident or anything, eh Iolaus?" grinned Jason.

Lilith laughed at the remark. "I didn't think his head could get any bigger! But then again, you would never think his stomach could be that big either."

Iolaus' face contorted into mock surprise. "I'll have you know that I'm a growing boy!"

"Then you have a lot more to grow, shorty," chirped Theseus. At that, Iolaus jumped at the other, wrestling him into the ground as the others burst out laughing.

Finally, when he could stop holding his sides, Herc piped, "We should start getting ready, guys." The others nodded their heads in compliance and headed towards the dorms to get ready in their clothes that Jason and Lilith had put together. They were all green, almost peasant style, with handsome gold trimmings. Jason's funds and Lilith's genius put them together and the result was stunning. Hercules admired the outfit, noting that the colour didn't look too bad on him. Perhaps he may wear this again sometime, secretly hoping that that time he may be on a date. There had been a couple girls at Kora's the other night that had sparked his interest and they certainly thought that he was alright as well. He just wishd he knew which one to pick, and then have enough courage to ask her out. He was determined to do it tonight at Iolaus' insisting. Especially when Iolaus figured that he could always take the other out as well. Why was it always so easy for the former thief?

Stepping away from the mirror, he picked up his string instrument and went out to meet the others outside.

"What were you doing in there that took so long?" asked Theseus, raising an eyebrow.

"Probably standing in front of the mirror, right Herc?" answered Iolaus. Hercules shot him a dangerous look. "Aw, come on! It's just a couple girls."

"Girls, huh?" inquired Lilith. "Since when have you been dating? I didn't know you were even looking around."

"Look, guys, it's nothing. I met a couple girls last night at Kora's and I might talk to them tonight. No big deal."

"_Two_ girls?" Jason asked, face seemingly impressed.

Iolaus slapped Jason on the back. "I get the one he turns down!" Jason looked slightly miffed at this and stayed silent, obviously thinking the same thing as his shorter companion.

Theseus cleared his throat. "Ya know? Maybe we should think of getting to Kora's before all the spaces for acts are filled up."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Hercules responded. With that, the group jogged down to Kora's, pumped for their performance.

As they got there, they quickly found it to be packed. They got entered into the competition easily enough, having warned Kora to save them a spot. She eagerly had agreed since last time Iolaus and Hercules had really rocked the place. Taking a seat near the back of the restaurant, the friends watched as others performed. Iolaus wouldn't stop boasting about his singing and continually smirked when someone came down from the stage, sighing as if pitying them.

A few minutes later Hercules nudged Iolaus, nodding towards two beautiful girls walking straight for them. Straightening up, Iolaus put on his best smile while Lilith rolled her eyes in disgust, dragging a reluctant Theseus and Jason away from the gorgeous girls to go talk to Kora, leaving the two other friends alone.

"Well hello!" Iolaus greeted, bending down to take one of the girls hands into his and kiss it romantically. "And what would two _fine_ ladies like you be doing out here and not on the stage? I'm sure you'd win with just your beauty alone," he added, drawing a look of disgust on the girl whose hand he was molesting.

"Hello," the other greeted, a little less than enthusiastically. "And you are?"

"Iolaus. At your service of course," the brash young man went on, also noticing the beauty of the other as well.

Both women looked at Hercules for a moment before the young warrior clued in. "Oh! Sorry, I forgot. Iolaus, their names are Seleeth," indicating the blonde, "and Danla," nodding towards the brunette. "They're here from Athens and are staying here for the time being until their father finds a suitable place to settle."

"Why did you leave Athens?"

"No reason really. Our father just thought that perhaps we would be better off learning about other lands besides the big city. Something about how to live humble lives," she answered, rolling her eyes slightly.

The demigod thought a moment, then added, "He has a point there though."

Seleeth cocked her head in confusion. "How so?"

"Well, you see that guy over there talking with the two girls and that other guy? The shorter of the two guys? He's the king of Corinth and he came here to learn how to fight and also about the way others live."

"Perhaps a wise emove after all. He'll make for a very fine king for his people," Seleeth said quickly, giving Hercules a stunning smile.

They went on talking for the remainder of the evening until Kora ran towards them, exasperated. "You two are supposed to be on stage at any moment! Hurry up!" At that the two friends excused themselves from the two girls who continued to stare after Hercules.

"You ready?"

"Of course! I'm ready to share my voice with the entire tavern! La la la!!!" Hercules smacked him in the back, laughing at his enthusiasm. You had to hand it to him, he never quit.

They quickly joined the others on the stage and set up their instruments. With a last minute check done, they quickly started playing, caught up in the atmosphere of the room. Hercules saw Seleeth give him a thumbs up and Danla give him a wink. He blushed slightly, but kept on playing, losing himself in the fast rhythm Lilith was setting up. Iolaus sang his heart out and Hercules had to admit that he had never heard his friends sound so good. Jason and Theseus were just as good. By the end of it, the entire room was dancing along with the song and the room erupted into cheers when they finished. Jason punched his hand into the air in triumph as Lilith and Theseus jumped up and down like maniacs, knowing well enough that they were sure to win the prize now.

"That was amazing you guys!" exclaimed Kora as they got off the stage. "I mind as well just give you the prize right now!"

"But you have a few more acts to go through don't you?" Hercules inquired.

"Yup, just a couple more. I'll have to go get them ready. Although the one that's supposed to go up after you looks a bit sick right now...." With that, she ran off.

"Only two more to go guys! I can almost taste that roast!"

Lilith crept up from behind Iolaus and put him into a headlock, giving him a nooky. "When do you ever stop thinking about food?"

"That was some performance." Hercules turned quickly around to find Danla and Seleeth smiling back at him sweetly.

"Well, I have to admit that that was my best performance yet. Though I am better at other things as well...." Iolaus said, raising an eyebrow. The two turned away in disgust and faced the young demigod instead, entering a conversation with him instead.

"Ouch!" Lilith commented as a bewildered Iolaus backed away from the two girls and Hercules. She then proceeded to drag the three remaining boys away from Hercules and the beautiful girls.

A couple minutes passed and Hercules started to become a bit restless. These two were nice and all, but he felt like he was being smothered by them. He took a quick glance over to the gang across the room, hoping that they would come to his rescue, but to no avail. He then looked over to where Kora was, noticing the next entertainer running out of the tavern, holding his hand over his mouth. Kora just flung her hands up into the air and walked over to the last entertainer by the corner of the room. He couldn't tell who they were as they had a traveling cloak on with a hood, hiding their face. Kora spoke a quick word to the stranger and the stranger nodded understandingly and immediately swept gracefully towards the stage, all eyes on her (Hercules could guess it was a girl by the way she carried herself).

As she neared the stage, she took off her cloak and handed it to an attendant, revealing a sweeping blue dress, shimmering slightly and gleaming in the candlelight of the tavern. Jaws dropped at the sight of her. If Aphrodite could be called beautiful, then this girl put her to shame. Her blonde hair shined brightly, a smile playing on her lips as she walked up the stairs. All eyes were on her and a hush fell over the crowd. Just as she reached the centre of the stage, her eyes met those of Hercules. It was as if she was looking into his very soul, yet he could not break his gaze despite the looks he was getting from a jealous Iolaus and Jason as well as two very flustered girls.

The strange girl cut the stare off and signaled the band that Kora supplied for all contestants to start. The song was slow and light. As she started to sing, the hair on the back of everyone's neck stood up, lost in the enchantment she seemed to be weaving around the room. Nobody spoke, but just stood in awe at the spectacle as she sang lovingly, then hit the high and strong notes with precise charisma and texture. As the song died, so did the hearts of those that stood listening. None wanted the song to end, yet as with all things it did, leaving the crowd speechless. A moment later the tavern erupted into cheers and a standing ovation followed by Iolaus groaning.

"Well!" Kora spoke over the crowd, taking her place beside the mysterious singer on stage. "I believe we have our winner, unless anyone would care to abject?" Nobody spoke up and Iolaus' groaning increased. Looking around at his friends, he could see their disappointment, but they were all still glowing in awe at the girl's performance. Hercules could make out Jason's words, "She deserves that prize."

Kora presented her with the gifts, yet the girl swiftly picked up the pendant first. She eyed it for a moment, then left the stage and headed for the bar after placing the trinket in her pocket. Kora just looked at her as though she was crazy and went back to serving people.

By that time, Hercules was having trouble with the two women who were practically hanging off him. He had no idea why they had taken such an interest in him, but he wished that Jason or Iolaus would come to his rescue. He glanced over to where Iolaus was hitting on Kora, once again, and where Jason and Lilith were, enthusiastically playing a drinking game as the house band struck up a catchy tune. _Great, _thought the young demigod, _while they're getting trashed I'm over here being mauled to death._ As if on cue, Hercules spotted Theseus striding over to him, a grin on his face as he saw Hercules' relieved face.

"I'll take it from here," Theseus whispered to the demigod as he passed by. "Ladies! What a pleasant surprise! Ya know? I was just thinking about having a dance and Hercules here was saying something before about a surprise for you two earlier this evening!" Hercules gave the young warrior a death look. "Why don't you go get it while I buy these lovely ladies a round at the bar?" He raised his eyebrows and nodded towards the doorway. Not understanding, Hercules looked over to the entrance and a moment later he caught a quick glance of the strange girl leaning against the wall, a beer mug in her hand.

"I'll be right back," was all he could say. He muttered a thank you to Theseus before the other took each lady by the arm and headed to the bar while they looked back at the blonde longingly. The demigod just gave a little wave and practically sprinted off towards the door, eager to find out who this strange person was.

As he approached her, he found that he didn't know what to say. He was sparred the effort when he saw her leave through the doorway, draping the traveling cloak over he shoulders. He also noticed that the prize food was left behind unnoticed. "Hey wait!"

Hercules rushed out of the tavern, pushing through people on his way. He entered the cooler air and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. Bad move. Before he knew what was going on, he found himself facing the ground, the wind knocked out of him and pretty sure that he would suffer a headache the next morning as well as a sporting bruise near his left kidney.

A few moments passed, all in which Hercules was dreading the girl's next blow. "Oh! Sorry about that!"

Getting up on his forearms, the demigod shook his head, trying to get his wits about him. The world would not stop spinning. Noticing the problem, the girl kneeled down on the earth beside him and pressed her forefinger and thumb into the crook of his neck and squeezed sharply, relieving the tension that was building up in his head. "You should think before you act next time." Her tone, once apologetic, now held no sympathy for the other on the ground. He also noticed a slight accent that he did not recognize.

"Look who's talking," Hercules reproached, turning himself over and rested on his arms. "You should check who you're attacking before you attack them."

She raised an eyebrow, as though intrigued. "And here I was thinking that Cheiron taught all his students to always be on their guard."

"Well I never expected a girl to be able to throw me like that! Where did you learn to do that? And what did you do to my neck?" he asked, rubbing his temple.

"You're certainly the curious one," she said, helping Hercules to his feet and dusting him off.

"Well? Are you going to answer my questions or just leave me out to dry? I think I deserve an explanation after that!"

"Just here and there. I had a few teachers along the way. I gather there aren't many women who know how to fight around here."

"Well, there is one girl, Lilith, at our school. She can pack quite a punch and I have the bruises to prove it." Hercules laughed lightly at the memories while the girl remained silent.

_Something about that just seems so familiar..., _she thought.

"By the by, what's your name?"

Shaken from her deep thoughts, she shook her head and started walking away from the hopeful demigod. "I must be going now. It was nice to meet you.... Actually, I don't believe I caught your name."

"Hercules," he answered, startled by his rudeness as his cheeks turned a shade darker. He could have sworn that hers went a shade lighter though. He was about to inquire about it when he heard shouting coming from Kora's. His concern was heightened when he heard glass shatter and pottery smash followed by howls of pain.

He started running back to the tavern when he noticed that the stranger was not following. "Aren't you coming?"

Her face remained emotionless. "It's not my fight." With that, she turned to leave.

"But with your fighting skills.... How can you just stand by?!"

"Good luck, son of Zeus," she answered, not looking back as she disappeared into the trees. "By the way, the prize food is yours. Tell your friend that."

Frustrated, Hercules ran back to the tavern to find it in a frenzy. Many were huddled under the tables, covering their heads with their hands, many crying out when someone fell down beside their shelter or on top of it. Cursing under his breath, Hercules entered into the fray, spotting those he could only guess were thugs or perhaps part of a gang, noting the swords and daggers that they carried. There was some sort of inscription on the hilts of them.... He thought no longer on it and started grabbing and throwing as many he could away from innocent and frightened people. He caught sight of Theseus and Jason across the room, fighting with three of them. They were fighting them off with a couple legs from the broken tables._ They'll be okay,_ he thought, noticing a couple more cadets joining his two friends.

Just then he found Iolaus just a few feet from him, fighting with a much larger built and imposing man with a dagger, which was swiping dangerously close to Iolaus' face. He also noted that the former thief already had a few cuts on his chest and arms. Instinctively, the demigod lunged at the man, bringing his fist straight at his face before he knew what was going on.

"Cut it a little close, don't you think, buddy?" gasped Iolaus.

Hercules grinned slightly. "And here I was thinking that you could take care of yourself."

"Very funny, but you should know that I had him right...." He was cut off as he glanced towards the window where Lilith was fighting three men off, each carrying a menacing sword. She was fairing quite well, but they were closing in all too quickly. Both boys woke up and started running towards her. Just then, Lilith stumbled over someone huddled on the ground, losing her eye contact with the men. It left an opening. One in which one man took advantage of. He brought up his sword quickly, then brought it down as if in slow motion. All Hercules could do was watch as Lilith's face went from surprise to fear at the blade. _No!_ _He was too late!_

He waited for the life to drain out of his friend, but was denied that horrific experience. A clang resounded throughout the room followed by another taunt of a bow and another arrow was shot, entering into the heart of Lilith's would-be killer. The killer swaggered slightly, then fell down with a thud, stunning the bar into silence. A bow was drawn taunt, yet there was no release sound. Hercules looked frantically around for the intruder, then spotted her outside the window, face a menacing mask, eyes focused on one of the gang members who screeched at the arrow pointing at him. Without a second glance, the thugs raced out of the tavern, tripping over chairs and tables as they went, but not before one, in a rage about his fallen friend, lashed out at Hercules with his dagger. The demigod saw it coming and sideswiped it, barely getting a scratch from the attack. Cursing, the thug went to join his ranks. It was not until the running footsteps could not be heard anymore that the bowstring was eased from its tension and the stranger's expression took on a more human quality.

Hercules let out a sigh of relief and surveyed the scene around him. Although there were numerous injuries ranging from bruises, cuts, and possibly breaks, nobody was seriously injured, due to the efforts of the cadets. And of course the strange girl. Hercules swung his head back at the thought to find the window empty. Frantically, he sprinted to the window but was met by silence and darkness.

_She just left. I didn't even get her name..._


	2. Chapter Two

The cleanup of the wounded took the rest of the night. By the end, Iolaus and Jason were passed out on a couple of chairs, Iolaus snoring loudly against Jason's shoulder, muttering under his breath. Lilith was in the back room helping Kora with the rest. Theseus had already headed back with Cheiron and the rest of the cadets. Classes were cancelled the next day, so there were no complaints about the four staying late at Kora's. Fiducius would just have to understand.

Hercules was just moving around the broken tables, rather easily, but his mind wandered to the events of the night. The girl was his foremost thought. Where would she have learned all those skills? It didn't seem natural for a girl of his age, roughly seventeen, to be that knowledgeable at fighting. Although he was well acquainted with the Amazons, especially Lilith, it didn't seem right. Her style was just so foreign. He just wished that he knew a little more about her. Glancing over at his two friends, he could count on them to have not given her a second thought, although that would probably not be the case in the morning. She did, after all, save their lives. Particularly Lilith's, for which he was eternally grateful.

Morning came without any sleep for the young demigod. He woke up his companions from their slumber and dragged them back to the academy with a heartfelt thank you from Kora as they left.

"She owes us big time," Lilith stated, yawning as they walked.

"Yeah," Iolaus added, "Do you think she could repay me by going on a date?" Jason punched him in the arm, making the former thief stumble in his exhaustion.

Lilith studied Hercules' silent form for a moment, then asked, "Did you get any sleep last night? Your eyes have bags under them that could carry an entire ocean."

"Yeah, Herc. You look a wreck," Jason added, concern showing on his face.

"Thanks, guys. It's nice to know that you'll always be honest..." Hercules said back, stifling a yawn.

"Okay, we know you better than that. What's going on with you?" Iolaus quiried, draping an arm around his friend's shoulder playfully. He knew him for too long to not know when something was up. Yet, even for Hercules, he was being pretty quiet.

Hercules thought a moment longer, then sighed, "Did any of you notice anything about the swords that the men were carrying?" They all shook their heads no. "On the hilt of each one there was crossed swords."

Jason sighed disgustingly. "Ares, no doubt."

"Yeah, but why trash a tavern?"

"To get at you, of course. Don't you remember? 'I'll get you one day little brother!'" Iolaus mimicked, laughing at his own joke. Jason punched him again.

"So Ares was after you again. It happens all the time. Nothing's new about it," Lilith commented coolly. "What I want to know is who that singer was last night. I mean, the singing was great and all, but did you see her shoot that arrow. She meant business."

"Yeah, and the look on her face when she shot the guy.... Creepy!" Iolaus said, shaking from a sudden chill.

"She's not just an archer, that's for sure," Hercules went on. "She gave me a few bruises when I went to talk to her before the brawl. I guess I surprised her because the next thing I knew was that I was eating dirt on the road." He smiled in spite of himself.

"You seemed to be doing fine at Kora's by the looks of you. I was wondering where all those bruises and that cut on your arm came from. Did she pull a knife on you?" Jason said.

"No, the cut was from Kora's, but everything else was her. I'm telling you, I've never seen anyone move so fast! And she did something to my neck, and after I felt like the whole earth was spinning. It was like being put through Cheiron's training sessions in less that a second. It was unreal," Hercules said, rubbing his ribs where he had landed on them.

Then Jason said, "You might want Cheiron to look at you once we get back."

"Sure."

They got back to the academy where Iolaus headed straight to the dining hall along with Lilith and Jason. Hercules excused himself to his sleeping room, saying that he was exhausted from the lack of sleep. Nobody complained and Hercules was left alone to make his way to the room. In truth, he felt a bit sick to the stomach, as though he had eaten nothing at all and had just run a mile. Although then again, he had just been fighting the night before and he had no sleep and hadn't touched food. With that comforting thought, he fell onto his bed and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

"What do you think you were doing? You were not supposed to interfere! You promised me that you would not interfere with fate! Of all the stupid things that you could have done...."

A young woman paced around a clearing, clearly upset at the change in events. "How was I supposed to know that it was so important? I thought I was doing the right thing. I mean, the son of Zeus does live on to become a legend, so he does live on. How does saving the life of one girl change anything? Tell me!"

The eerie voice hissed. "It _does_ matter because Lilith is supposed to die! Once she dies, Hercules goes into a rage, fueled some by Hera herself produced from her powers. Hercules is then supposed to kill or maim all the priests in the tavern, a couple other people as well in his rage, and then find _Cheiron_ and kill him!" The bodiless voice grew louder and shriller. "He then calms down soon afterwards and is horrified at what he did! He then goes leaves the academy and starts on his adventures that make him famous! Is any of this getting through to you, child!"

The girl stopped pacing, a look of horror dawning on her face. "I...I didn't know..."

"I told you to read that book I gave you on ancient Hellas! I told you!"

"What must I do?"

"You. You are going to have to finish what the fates had intended..." the voice trailed off. Two small mews were heard a little ways off, sounding mournful, as though knowing what was coming next.

A disturbing silence filled the air, broken by the shattering conclusion. "I have to kill Lilith."

Hercules awoke in the middle of the night, feeling as though his head were about to burst. His mouth was so dry that is felt like sand. Raising himself on his elbow, he quickly found that he felt a bit weak, but that was probably from the splitting headache. Placing his feet on the floor, he slowly made his way out to the well and drew up some water. It felt good on his parched throat. Taking the cup of water back with him, he noticed black spots start to dance in front of his eyes. Waving them away, he made his way back to bed, vowing that he would eat something in the morning. He'd feel a lot stronger then. It served him right to have left himself in this condition anyway.

The next day, after breakfast, the gang headed off to Cheiron's morning drills. Iolaus noticed that his sparring buddy was looking a bit off colour that morning, so he took it easy, hoping that Cheiron would not notice. _Must have been something he ate. Those oats and eggs _were_ looking a bit odd this morning after all._ Non-the-less, he was still worried about his tall friend. He didn't usually get sick. _Must be that god blood in him._

After the drills, they went to Fidicius' class for yet another lesson on warfare and the code of honour of past heroes. The part about the heroes was at least interesting.

Hercules tried hard to concentrate on the lecture, but his eyes kept bothering him. That and his headache would not stop building up. His head was actually starting to gain an irritating faint ringing sound. He shook his head, but to no avail. Maybe he'd see Cheiron about some herbs after the lessons were over with. He noticed Iolaus and now Jason looking over at him, concern mirrored in their eyes. Hercules could make out Jason mouth 'Are you feeling okay?' Hercules just waved him off, mouthing back that he was fine. Shrugging, they went back to paying attention to the lecture.

The scrapping of chairs woke Hercules from his light doze, alarming him that he had been so close to falling asleep in class. Standing up after most of the class had left, he quickly caught up to Iolaus, Jason, Theseus, and Lilith, who were all moaning about how Fidicius could take even the interesting topics and make them boring. Hercules tried to focus in on their words, but found the ringing in his ears to increase to bloke out their voices. That and his vision was slowly decreasing.

Swaying slightly, he halted, watching his friends finally stop when they noticed that he was no longer following.

"Hey, Herc? You feeling okay? You look a little pale, buddy." Iolaus' words were lost to the ringing.

Blinking, Hercules said weakly, "I don't feel so good...." With that, he crumpled forward. Jason quickly caught the young demigod as he fell, lowering him to the ground carefully. He was out cold and shivering violently. Lilith took her hand and placed it on Hercules' forehead. It was burning up! She took her hand away, noticing the cold sweat still on it.

Lilith looked at Theseus. "Go get Cheiron! Quick!" She looked back at Hercules and heard Iolaus mutter, "It'll be okay buddy. Everything will be just fine...."


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Seriously, what can a student afford these days?

A/N: I'd like to thank those of you who have reviewed my little story. I love receiving feedback as it's one of the most rewarding things any writer can achieve. Thank you :)

* * *

"How's he doing?"

Iolaus looked over to where Theseus was standing by the doorway and shook his head. Words could not explain what he was feeling right now. Quietly, the dark cadet walked over to Hercules' bedside and took a chair. Word had been sent to Alcmene that afternoon. It was now late in the night and the demigod was surrounded by his friends and Cheiron. Fidicius was talking to the healer on the other side of the room. One look over there told Theseus that the healer had no idea what was wrong with his friend. He looked back at his friends. Jason was sitting silently, his face made out of stone, impassive. Only his troubled eyes gave him away. Lilith looked like she was on the verge of tears and Iolaus.... He just looked a wreck. The somber atmosphere was too much to bear. Lashing out, Theseus kicked a chair in frustration. None of them bothered to look and continued to stare at Hercules, not knowing what was wrong with him.

Cheiron's hand was at his chin, clearly deep in thought. "Do any of you remember anything that could have happened to him? Anything at all?" They all shook their heads.

Then Jason jumped up. "Hey! What about that young singer that he met outside at Kora's! Maybe she did something to him. Herc did say something about feeling strange after she did something to him."

Lilith shook her head. "No, remember, all she did was give him a few bruises and bumps. Nothing that she did could leave Hercules like this."

The centaur hummed a bit more, then asked, "Then where did he get this cut on his arm from?"

The cadets just looked at each other, horror showing on their faces. As if reading each other's minds, they all voiced, "Ares."

"What has Ares got to do with this?"

Jason turned to his mentor, then said, "Each hilt on their swords had a symbol on it. They were Ares'." He then retold the story that Hercules had told them.

"Then the cut must be the problem." With that, the centaur surveyed the cut a little more closely, but didn't notice any discolouration. He turned the arm around in his hands, thinking. "Perhaps there was a poison on the dagger, but I'm not sure a poison would be able to kill a demigod so easily. At least not this quickly."

"Hind's blood." They all looked over at Iolaus, who had stayed quiet this whole time. "Hind's blood. It's simple. It can kill a god, so why not a demigod? I mean, if he were an actual god, the stuff would have killed him much quicker, but since he's not, it's just taking a bit longer."

"But then wouldn't his mortal half keep him alive if that side of him would not be affected?" asked Lilith hopefully.

Cheiron perked up at her words. "We shall soon see. There is no known cure for this infliction. We are just going to have to wait it out and hope for the best."

The night passed anxiously. Between holding down the youth on the bed and untangling him from his bed sheets, they just stared around the room, never making eye contact with the others in case their worst fears would be confirmed by the others' eyes. They knew how grim the situation was, nobody was attempting to lighten the mood. Not even Iolaus. In fact, he looked the worse of them all. He just kept holding Hercules' hand and staring down at his pale form. It wasn't when Hercules would thrash around that worried them. It was when he went completely motionless. It was like he was dead. Jason would continually check his pulse at these times. Eventually Iolaus got so fed up with the prince that he would swat the hand away, daring the prince to place his hand on Hercules again. By the end of the night, tempers were running high.

It was nearing dawn when they heard someone's voice. "You can't come in here!" It was Fidicius. "This academy is only accessible by students and special-" Silence rippled through the air.

Cheiron charged out the door, spotting the intruder heading towards the dormitories. He ran back to the room. "Theseus, sound the alarm! Quickly!" Theseus at once raced out of the doors and disappeared outside. The next minute the alarm bell could be heard, followed by the shouts of the cadets being woken up and finding an armed intruder it their midst. "You three, stay in here. Look after him," he ordered, nodding towards Hercules' still form, which was starting to twitch slightly, moaning softly in pain.

Loud clashes of battle sounded throughout the corridors. Jason quickly unsheathed his sword while Iolaus spotted a chair, shattering it with a strike of his foot and grabbed a couple legs to defend with, throwing Lilith the other two. Silence filled the air, with it a creeping dread. They waited for a long time before Jason edged towards the doorway cautiously, just about to peer around the corner when a foot came up to meet his chin, sending stars across his vision.

Iolaus jumped as Jason tumbled to the ground to reveal a blur of a person barreling down on him, sending him into a wall, stunning him momentarily. That moment was far too long. He blinked back the black walls closing in on his world in time to see Lilith lying on the floor, the attacker kneeling beside her, her face a mask of fury, her sword poised straight at Lilith's throat, Lilith looking death in the face.

Yet nothing happened. There was no blood, no choked cry from his friend. Just silence. The attacker, Iolaus and Jason realizing to be the singer from before that had saved their lives, just kneeled there. Her face contorted as though not knowing what to do. Finally a horrified look came to her expression and she stumbled to her feet, casting the sword away from her on the flood where it clanged loudly. She shuddered at the sound.

Lilith crawled on her back as quickly as she could until she met with Iolaus' legs. He helped her stand up, then glanced over at Jason, relieved, but confused at the same time. All three looked back over to the intruder, fully expecting her to start attacker them again. Iolaus glanced over to where Hercules was, behind the girl. He had to get over there!

He was about to move to attack the girl when Lilith touched Iolaus' shoulder. Jason shook his head as well, then went back to staring at the girl. She just stared at her sword, eyes unmoving, not noticing the others in the room. They then heard her whisper softly, "I failed..." Her face then contorted into disgust and she made to leave while Jason got out of the way quickly.

Just as she reached the door, she finally noticed Hercules, lying on the bed, his form deathlike and pale. Her face remained an impassive mask. "What happened to him?" she asked forcefully.

"He was... He was cut. The blades at Kora's were dipped in... hind's blood," Iolaus finished, not quite sure why he even told her that. At once he regretted it as she made her way over to where Hercules lay. Jason and Iolaus jumped at once to his side, blocking her path to him.

"Let me pass. This is my fault. I must correct it."

"So it was you who cut him!" Iolaus spat. Jason held back the former thief, afraid at what he might do. They heard a moan come from the bed behind him. A much weaker one than any before.

"No. It was not me personally, but it mind as well have been. He would not be in this situation if..." She glanced over at Lilith, who stared confusedly back. "Let me see him. I can help. He will die if you don't." Realizing that she was right, Lilith walked up to Iolaus and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, leading him away from the bed, while Jason stood on the guard as their attacker made her way to the bedside. Drawing up a chair, she sat down beside the demigod, who was silent once more. His face was dry and clammy and pale as a ghost. His hair was drenched with sweat and shivers wracked his body. He was indeed dying. She picked his wrist in a gentle embrace and felt for a pulse. She found it, but just barely. She guessed that the young legend had only the rest of the night, if not less.

"There's no other choice..." they heard her mutter to herself. Before any could inquire on what she had said, the girl laid herself across Hercules chest, placing her ear by his heart and closing her eyes, her brow furrowed in concentration. She stayed like that for a few more moments before a blue glow started to surround her and grow, spreading to Hercules, turning into a brilliant gold glow enveloping both. All the three could do was stare in awe and the spectacle.

The gold light slowly turned into red, drawing a groan from Hercules and the girl's face to contort into a grimace. The eerie red light flowed away from Hercules and back to the girl and abruptly went out. The girl's form tensed, then went limp on top of Hercules. Lilith just stood there, lost for words. Jason, not quite knowing why, let out a sigh of relief while Iolaus rushed to Hercules' side, followed a second later by his two friends. He checked for a pulse Hercules and found one. One that was much stronger! Jason checked the girl's and found it to be weak. Motioning Iolaus to help, they lifted her to another bed and Lilith placed blankets around her.

Whatever she had done, it looked like it may have given Hercules and fighting chance.

Hercules' vital signs were gaining strength with every hour, although Cheiron was quick to point out that Hercules' recovery would be long in coming. He admitted that he had no idea how long the girl's would take. In fact, her life signs were fading. Not as drastically as Hercules' had, but they were fading non-the-less. And, like Hercules, he had no idea how to treat her. All they could do was hope for the best.

A couple days passed and it was now in the middle of the night. Iolaus was propped up in a chair, his head resting gently on his chest. Lilith was sprawled at the foot of the girl's bed and Jason was lying on one of the spare beds.

The demigod's hand twitched slightly, feeling the soft covers placed around him. The air was warm and comforting, smelling sweetly. Silence filled his ears, broken only by soft breathing to his right. Hercules dared not open his eyes, fearing that this was only an illusion that would fade away.

He didn't want the nightmares to start again. He could see his friends. All of them at Kora's during the fight, the sword slicing through Lilith. He watched her collapse over and over again. He could see Iolaus' stricken face as a table leg was brought down on his head, sending him to the floor. Jason was nowhere to be found as was Theseus and Kora. The next thing he knew, his anger rose to unparalleled heights and all he could see was a screen of red cloud his vision. It would finally vanish and he would find himself staring down at Cheiron's unmoving form on the road, blood seeping from numerous wounds. He would then look down at his hands. They were covered in blood. Then the dream would start all over again.

Shuddering, he decided that he would have to find out sometime anyway. Opening his eyes a crack because the light hurt his eyes, he let them focus until they could be opened far enough to recognize Iolaus' sleeping form next to the bed he was lying on.

"Iolaus?" His voice sounded rasp.

Instantly the hunter's eyes snapped open and stared down at Hercules. "Hercules! You're awake!" The thief immediately embraced the demigod in a vice-like hug, squeezing the life out of him.

Hercules tried to return the greeting, though it was a bit weaker than usual. "I'd like to breathe now if you don't mind." Iolaus quickly let Hercules go and sat back, running his hand through is hair distractedly. "Where are the others? Are they okay?" He paused a moment. "Where's Lilith?" he asked, a bit more frantic than he intentioned.

"Right here," Lilith called back groggily, rubbing sleep from her eyes. A moment later she realized who had spoken and screeched, jumped up, and gave Hercules a hug, though a bit more restrained than Iolaus had been, mindful of his still weakened state.

Jason then came sauntering over and smile down at his friend. "Nice to see sleeping beauty here finally woke up. We were a little worried for a moment there."

Hercules grinned a bit. "Well, was there any doubt? Of course I'd wake up! I just don't understand how I fell asleep in the first place." Jason then clued Hercules in to all that had happened until that moment. When he finished, Hercules looked around the room to find the girl lying on the bed opposite him. She looked so frail.... "What's wrong with her?"

Lilith, who had been looking after her, took over. "Well, we're not quite sure what she did to you, so we don't know how to treat her. We think that she has the same disease that you had, but it's hard to tell. We don't know how to treat her."

"Take her outside." All three looked at Hercules as if he were insane. Instead, he just shrugged a bit. "Just do it."

"Where did that come from?"

"I don't know, but I just have this feeling.... Just trust me on this. We have to take her outside."

Jason spoke up quickly at what Hercules had just said. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you mean by 'we'? I think you mean 'you guys'. You're not in any condition to go anywhere!" Hercules just stared him down, knowing that Jason would not budge on the subject.

"I think that's a good idea." The cadets jumped at the sound of Cheiron's voice. "Iolaus and Jason, you support Hercules on either side and Lilith, I believe that Theseus is resting in his room. Go get him. I believe he'd like to greet Hercules as well." With that, Lilith sprinted off down the corridor. "We'll take her outside to the clearing by the academy."

"But Cheiron, Herc just woke up..." Iolaus protested.

Cheiron looked at Hercules for a moment, then asked, "Would you like to stay in here?" The young demigod shook his head. "There you have it then. Iolaus. Jason. Help Hercules to his feet." They did as they were told, noting that Hercules could barely sit up from his bed. But they made do by taking Hercules' arms around their shoulders. Sighing, they left the room to find Theseus and Lilith, the former gasping slightly as he welcomed Hercules back to the world of the living. Hercules and his two supporters then set out, trailing behind Cheiron who was carrying the girl with ease. Lilith trailed behind with Theseus.

They approached the clearing eventually, held up some by the stubborn demigod who refused to be left behind. They lowered Hercules gently onto a fallen log and placed the strange girl in the centre of the clearing. "Now back up," Hercules ordered. They all did so without questioning him.

They looked around the clearing, noting that the birds, which had been chirping loudly just a minute ago, were now silenced. Not even the trees' leaves rustled. Iolaus shivered at the thought.

Then the silence was broken by a hissing voice. "Ianthosai binei shithsa." The spectators looked around in surprise, trying to find the source of the voice, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere. The phrase was repeated over and over again, rising to a booming command.

Then it all of a sudden stopped. The clearing erupted. The wind picked up, tearing leaves from the trees. The earth shook slightly, causing those standing to lose their footing. Jason and Iolaus quickly braced Hercules on the log and lowered him to in front of it, resting with it behind his back. They did likewise. Red lights started drawing forth from the girl, rising slowly, then dispersing into the air and earth. Nature, in turn, sent out blue lights and entered into her body. Eventually the air and earth settled down and the clearing was once again hushed. They all just stared at the girl's still form, not quite sure what had just happened.

Hercules was the first to recover from the shock. Getting Iolaus and Jason to support him, they made their way to the girl's side. He kneeled next to her while the others stayed standing. Slowly, Hercules cupped her chin in his hand, feeling the contours of her finely sculpted jaw. Her eyes tightened slightly, then loosened, revealing dazzling blue-grey eyes.

She blinked once, then her eyes focused on Hercules'. "Nadya." She swallowed nervously. "My name is Nadya."

Hercules grinned boyishly. "Well, it's nice to meet you finally. Nadya," he added, glad to finally be able to use the name. She smiled awkwardly at the warmth that he radiated at her. "I am told that it was you that saved my life."

Nadya slowly sat up, looking down at her hands. "You would never have gotten in that situation if not for me."

"What do you mean?"

She shook her head. "I – I can't tell you why... I'm sorry."

Theseus jumped in at this point. "Well, no matter! Everybody's okay now. No lasting harm done." Nadya gave him a sorrowful look, but refrained from voicing her feelings. She had destroyed one of the greatest heroes of all times life. How could they understand?


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I no own. No sue.

A/N: All I have to say at this point to for you to have fun. I try to write with the historical/myth facts in mind, so I hope I haven't butchered it too much. Again, thanks for the reviews!

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They made their way back to the academy at Cheiron's insistence that Nadya should stay a few days to gather her strength. He also spoke a stern word to Hercules not to get out of bed until he deemed that he could. By the time that they had reached the academy gates, Hercules was pale once more and his breathing came in laboured gasps. He had no complaints on the matter. 

Life went on as usual the next day even with Hercules absent from the daily routine. The cadets were all edgy though, especially when they saw Nadya stroll out throughout the building, taking a self-directed tour of the grounds. By the end of the day, she was exhausted by how many apologies she had made. Walking by the door to the infirmary, she thought about stopping in to see how Hercules was doing, but reminded herself that she had already done enough damage. Instead, she then confined herself to the girl's quarters, partly because she was still weak and needed to recuperate, and partly because of the guilt she felt in her heart.

By lights out, she heard Lilith come in through the door. Pretending to be asleep, she heard Lilith change into her night clothes, then pause as she passed by Nadya's bed. "Stop pretending, nobody sleeps that motionless." Nadya slowly rolled over on her side, glaring up at Lilith. "I didn't see you at dinner. We missed you there.…" When Lilith got no response from the girl on the bed, she went on, "You know, Cheiron said that you can come to classes anytime, not that they're eventful or anything, but it will give you something to do in the meantime. Everyone's talking about you though. Especially the guys that you beat up the other day," Lilith added with a smirk. She had never seen so many hurt prides. Noting the girl's lack of enthusiasm, she sat on her bed and placed a comforting hand on Nadya's shoulder. "I don't pretend to know what is bugging you, but just know that this place is a safe haven. At least it has been for me. Everybody here encourages one another. It was tough for me at first, being the only girl, but then I met Hercules, Iolaus and Jason. They showed me the ropes around here." She paused, realizing that she was rambling on. "Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that we're here for you. If you ever need to talk or-."

"Stop." Lilith looked down at her in surprise. "Just stop. I don't deserve your sympathy." She paused, drawing in a shaky breath. "I would have killed you, you know?" Lilith nodded. "That's what my purpose was supposed to be. You were supposed to die back there. At the tavern. I shouldn't have interfered…."

"Thank you." Nadya looked up at Lilith in surprise. "I don't think I ever had the chance to tell you that. I would have died…. It doesn't matter what happened the other night. All that matters is knowing that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. And neither would Hercules. What's wrong?" She asked, noticing the stricken look that passed across the other's face at the mention of Hercules.

"It was my fault that that happened to him. I… I didn't mean for it to happen, but because of what I did…."

"What do you mean?" Lilith asked hesitantly.

Not thinking, Nadya stated, "You were supposed to die." Lilith gave her a shocked look. "This is not how it was supposed to happen."

"What _is_ supposed to happen?"

"Hercules. He shouldn't be at the academy anymore. He should be out there, in the world, with Iolaus, becoming the legendary hero…. He shouldn't be here anymore!" The outburst brought forth all of Nadya's frustration in torrents as she pulled the covers up to her chin, weeping unrestrainedly. She was angry at herself for crying. She hadn't done that in so long. All she could think about, though, was her failure. It was supposed to be easy. Enter the contest, get the pendent, then leave. How did she change fate so much?

Lilith pulled the girl into a hug, whispering words of comfort to her, all the while shuddering inside at what the other had said. _Hercules was supposed to leave and I…I should have died back there? Is she an oracle?_ They remained like that until Nadya eventually calmed down and finally fell asleep, leaving Lilith with her disturbed thoughts.

In the morning before classes, Lilith relayed everything that had happened to Theseus, Iolaus, and Jason, leaving nothing out. They just stood there, dumbfounded by the turn of events. Perhaps she was an oracle. Maybe one from the famous island Delphi where many oracles resided, worshipping Apollo. They doubted it though. Her garments were too strange. She was wearing clothes that looked like they were a man's. Her pale blue pants legs were made of a type of very thin fleece they guessed as well with her sleeveless top v-neck. Her shoes were leather, but dyed white with blue streaks running along the sides. Her sword was the only thing that they could recognize, though the designs was unlike any they had seen. Instead of the iron broadswords that they were accustomed to, it was thin and made of a metal that known knew of, though it was just as strong, if not stronger. It was curved slightly, lending a lethal look to it that made them wish that they would never meet the end of, though Lilith had already experienced that. They really had no country in which any of them could place her. Her mannerisms were strange, too. She carried herself with pride, not meek like many women that they knew, excluding Lilith and the Amazons. That was Iolaus' next guess, but he was shot down immediately. No one else had a better guess, so they left it a mystery until they could question Nadya again, which wouldn't be for a while at Lilith's insisting that the girl fighter might need some time to herself for a while. Ending it at that, they headed off to breakfast, then to Fidicius' class.

Nadya stayed in bed for the remainder of the morning, beating herself up about her outburst last night. She hadn't been thinking clearly. She hadn't meant to reveal that much to Lilith. It had just come pouring out of her before she could stop herself.

A knock on the door broke her thoughts. She sat up on her bed, then yelled, "Come in!" The door opened to reveal Cheiron.

"Here you are. I thought that you'd be outside on a day like this." Nadya shrugged, bored by the subject and went back to staring up at the ceiling. "I don't suppose Lilith told you of my proposal, did she?"

"Yeah, she did."

"And…?"

"It's not for me."

Cheiron just stared at her a moment, stroking his chin thoughtfully. She certainly wasn't one to open up. "I thought so…. I notice that you have a slight accent. Where do you come from?"

"Not here, that's for sure. Is there a point to this conversation?" she asked bluntly.

Unfazed, Cheiron went on calmly, "I was hoping to strike a deal with you." Nadya rose up slightly, resting on her elbow. "You're fighting style is quite different than ours. Mostly in the detail. I was wondering if you'd be interested in a job here. At the academy. You would be one of our fighting instructors, and in turn, I would teach you about the cities and the way of life here. You would be in classes here with the other students where you would learn our literature and writings. It may come in handy if you are going to travel in this area for a while." He paused, studying Nadya's confused reaction. "I'll let you think about it. Let me know when-."

"I'll do it."

Cheiron did a double take. "You've made your decision so quickly?"

"Yeah, well, there's nothing better to do." _That and I can make everything right again if I stay. How can things get any worse than they already are?_

"Very well. We'll start as soon as you feel up to it."

"Tomorrow's fine with me. Warn the cadets, though. I like to begin training just after dawn. They might want to get something to eat before that. I can guarantee they'll need the energy." Smirking, Cheiron left Nadya with a comforting thought. _There's still time._

"Morning guys!" A grumble was heard from the boys' dormitories.

"What…?" one cadet asked stupidly.

"What? Don't you know?" Nadya chirped happily. "Your day starts now." More groans ensued followed by one cadet falling off his bed. Chuckling, Nadya left to join Lilith, who was already in the dining hall. As she passed the infirmary's door, Hercules stepped out, nearly colliding into Nadya. Surprised, she asked, "What are you doing up?"

"I heard that you're teaching classes this morning," Hercules answered as if she had just asked a question with an obvious answer.

"Yes, but you're supposed to be resting. There's no way you'll be able to keep up with the class. I'm not saying this to discourage you. It's a fact."

Hercules looked slightly hurt, then said, "Well, then I'll just watch. I'm up anyway." He turned sharply and stalked angrily outside, trying to not let on to the other that he struggled to do even the simple task of walking.

_I should be better by now!_ Hercules thought, frustrated. He walked to an area that was set up for the training that morning. He looked curiously around at the strange obstacle course that was set up and knew that the cadets would have soar muscles the next day. His thoughts then turned back to Nadya. _How dare she think that she knew what was best for him? He was old enough to make his own decisions. Besides, she was roughly his own age, so she had no seniority over him. _Everything about her infuriated him. He could not quite come to trust her. She had been willing to leave all those people at Kora's that night, and then she had come in and tried to kill Lilith. He had no idea what stopped her. She had every capability of doing so, there was no doubt in his mind about that. Then why did she stop herself. To him, she seemed to not be human. She showed no real compassion and was rude to everyone in the academy. Even Cheiron, which he could not forgive her for. Yet, when Lilith had told him about her breaking down that night…. It must have been an act! She was probably working with Ares! But then why did she save his life? He believed that everyone was good deep down, but she was keeping something from all of them, that was for certain. He settled his thoughts by promising himself to keep a wary eye on her.

The cadets soon staggered out of the academy, yawning widely and dragging their feet. Many grumbled about being up so early. Many perked up as Nadya and Cheiron walked out of the doorway.

"I would like you to all meet our newest teacher here at the academy. I gather that many of you have already met her from the other night." A few cadets shifted their gaze nervously. "She is going to be conducting the early fighting lessons. Rest assured that she is more than qualified to be your instructor. You may also notice her in some classes of yours, so she will also be here as a student. With that over, I turn you over to Nadya." Cheiron bowed slightly and departed to the edge of the clearing to watch.

"Alright ladies! First off, line up in front of me!" Slowly, the cadets complied and eventually were in a straight line. "What was that? When I say line up, I mean now. Not in the next century! Fifty pushups. Now!"

Hercules, who was watching close to Cheiron, raised his eyebrows slightly. "Are you sure she's the one for the job?" he asked his mentor.

"She's perfect for it. I thought you, of all people, would enjoy a bit of a challenge. You do certainly seem to not be when we do anything to do with physical strength, anyway," Cheirong answered, still staring at the training session. "I've talked to her about your background and how you're not pushed to the limit with normal training. It seems to that she has a special plan for you when you're feeling better." Hercules gulped in spite of himself.

The cadets were put through the ringer. By the end of the session, only a few of them could walk away steadily enough that they weren't staggering over their own feet. Jason was one of those few, but Lilith and Iolaus were unfortunately one of the many that could barely stand, let alone walk.

"And you saying that this isn't a bit overkill?" Hercules asked the silent centaur. He was surprised to see a smile on Cheiron's face.

"Well done, cadets!" the centaur praised, walking over to where a few were still on the ground, catching their breath. Bending down, he helped a few to their feet as Nadya did the same.

Nadya surveyed the fruits of her labour, satisfied with the cadets' efforts. They were willing, that was for sure. "Before anyone goes to class, I want everyone to spend a few more minutes stretching!" A grumble was heard. "If you don't want to that's fine with me. Just don't expect your muscles to cooperate with you tomorrow morning. We'll be going through this routine for a couple more weeks at the least." Another round of groans was heard, but they all complied with Nadya's advice. Smiling in spite of herself, the new instructor walked over to where Cheiron now was, beside Hercules once more.

"Nice work, Nadya. I expect there will be a few complaints for a few days, but your training is very productive. I don't think I've seen any cadets get such a workout in the span of only two hours." Hercules stared at Cheiron in awe. This was high praise, coming from the centaur. The two then walked down the hallway, talking about battle techniques, completely engrossed in the subject.

After hobbling into their next class, albeit disdainful glares aimed at Nadya, Fidicius started in on a mathematics lesson. As the rest of the class wrote with their feathers and ink, Nadya struggled to simply write a sentence without creating large ink blots. She further had problems with simply writing a simple word. A couple guys around the class looked over her shoulders, snickering at her frustrations. Eventually, she simply gave up and instead just started listening to Fidicius.

Halfway through the class and in the middle of a complicated problem, of which Fidicius had to answer, Fidicius noticed the lack of scribbling coming from the girl's desk. "Problems, Nadya," he asked, almost too sweetly.

"Umm, no, my hand's just a bit cramped. And I remember things a lot better when I don't write them down."

"Really? So how will you study for tests? Or, for that matter, learn mathematics without practicing? Or am I to assume that you are beyond the rest of the class's level and feel that you could teach?"

A slight flush rose up on Nadya's cheeks, not of embarrassment, but of suppressed anger. "I believe that how I learn is none of your business, sir." The rest of the class held in their breaths at this statement, clearly fearing the outcome of their most feared teacher.

"I will see you after class. I do hope you like cleaning the stalls."

Nadya stood up rather abruptly, chair scrapping hostiley against the floor. "Fidicius, you may be my instructor for the time being, but I am certainly not to be mistaken as a mere pupil that you can kick around at a whim. If you haven't grasped this yet, I am also an instructor and therefore your equal in respect to this academy. I advise that you learn to accept this fact if we are to work together." Fidicius' face flushed to the degree of Nadya's, his rage at being talked back to in front of the rest of the class. He was further infuriated when the girl stalked towards the doorway. Before walking out, she turned purposefully to face Fidicius. "The actual answer to that question is 356. You forgot to subtract the total of the square root from the subtotal. Have a nice day," she ended, a smirk plastered on her face as she left the room.

Fidicius, totally speechless at the lecturing he had just received, quietly hissed, "Class dismissed." Nobody dared to question the man as chairs scrapped as quickly and quietly as possible. Within seconds, the room was emptied, leaving a shocked teacher staring at the open door.

"_That _has got to be the most _amazing_ thing I have ever seen!" exclaimed Iolaus. "I mean, she _really_ let Fidicius have it! I wish that to my dying day I never forget that," he added, wiping away an imaginary tear.

"Well, I must say that you have a point there," Jason chipped in, "though I doubt he's going to be lenient with her test marks."

"I still say it was worth it."

"Hey, Herc? Where are you going?" Lillith called after the demi-god as he was walking towards the tree-line surrounding the academy.

"Uh, nothing really… just thought I'd take a walk a bit. To exercise," Hercules answered, nervously pushing his hand through his hair.

Iolaus looked at his tall friend as though he had just grown another head. "But aren't you coming to Kora's with us?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you guys there in a bit, okay?" he answered, his eyes darting to the forest a couple times.

Catching on quickly, Theseus interjected, "Sounds like a plan. See you there." With that, he took Iolaus by the shoulders and steered him in the opposite direction towards Kora's.

Iolaus just looked up, a dumbfounded expression crossing over his face. "What was all that about?" Lilith and Jason leaned in closer, obviously curious as well.

Theseus looked behind his back, making sure Hercules wasn't within earshot. "Nadya was heading in that direction after her little lecture to Fidicius. I saw her enter the forest through the forest through the classroom window."

There were a series of "oh"s of understanding and a whistle of pride from Iolaus and the subject was dropped without further need of explanation.

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A/N: Okay, so I'm slightly evil for this little cliffhanger, but the next part is slightly long, so I have to cut them in half somewhere. :) 


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I no own. Enough said.

A/N: Seriously, sorry 'bout the lateness of this new chapter. Let's just say that studying sucks and no sleep and no rest makes me a very cranky person. :) But I hope you all enjoy this anyway.

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Hercules walked through the forest, taking the most likely of paths Nadya would have taken. He felt a certain pride in himself that he no longer leaned on trees like a cripple. Though he winded easily, he could gladly say that he could once again take stoles without worrying about the walk back. 

Thinking back to the class that day, he really didn't know what to think anymore. The mysterious woman sent his mind reeling at times. At one point, she was saving the life of Lilith, then trying to kill her. Then she saves his life then avoids talking to him. How could she open herself up to him and his friends one moment, then the next close herself off so completely?

He had been walking around for a while, checking all the most likely of places and paths she may have taken but to no avail. Reluctantly, he turned back to the path leading back to the academy.

"Giving up already, Hercules? And here I thought you were a bit more stubborn than that," a mocking voice teased.

Looking up in surprise, Hercules caught sight of the elusive girl high up in a tree branch, grinning mischievously down at him, her hair cascading around to frame her face and her grey-blue eyes sparkling playfully. He couldn't help but smile back. "How long have you been watching me?"

She looked up as if to really need to think about it. Swinging herself on a branch, she answered with a hint of amusement, "For a while I suppose. About from the time you were searching the clearing where those purple wildflowers grew. I saw you sit down on a boulder there to catch your breath and I thought I'd follow you around to see what you were looking for."

"Looking for? I was looking for you! And don't pretend that you didn't know that," he said, clearly frustrated with her mock ignorance, though he found himself liking the little banter.

"Well then, you should have just been looking in the trees as well as the ground," she defended herself as she jumped smoothly to another tree branch.

"Yes, because people climb trees on a regular basis," he answered sarcastically. He had to admit, she looked positively exotic swinging herself around the branches. "I'll be sure to climb trees next time when I'm looking for you."

"Why not now?"

He looked at her, slightly dumbfounded. "You want me? To climb up there? And how do you propose I do that?" he asked impatiently, crossing his arms in annoyance, not at all liking where this conversation was leading.

Hanging herself upside down with her legs wrapped around a branch, she simply said, "With your arms."

"My arms," he asked, "Of course, I was just thinking of throwing myself at the tree to see where that got me! Why didn't _I _think of that?" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up after smacking his palm onto his forehead.

"Well then, there's your problem," she said tonelessly as though everything made so much sense now.

Hercules glared at her, his annoyance creeping dangerously close to anger. "You saw me having to take a break back there! What makes you think that I can climb a tree when simply walking tires me? Why would you expect this of me?" When she didn't answer, he turned abruptly on his heel and made to go back to the path to the academy.

Or he would have had Nadya not decided to drop swiftly down in front of him, blocking his way. "Are you the son of Zeus or not? I had come here in the belief that someone born with that type of blood in his veins may have that extra something to him. That you would put it to good use and not disgrace us all by not taking advantage of the blessing you were granted. I don't see the son of Zeus in front of me. I see a coward that's too afraid to do something as simple as climbing a tree." Her face remained stoic as she spoke, but her eyes revealed a hidden ferocity to back up her words.

Hercules could only stare back at her, though he had noticeably cringed at the mention of his father. He could not find the words to answer her back. She expected him to somehow regain all his health back after he had, admittedly, almost did just a few days ago? An angry flush rose in his cheeks. "Get out of the way."

"I will not."

"Don't think I won't push you out of the way." Something about her, he noted, seemed to be bringing out a slightly negative side to him, though he had to admit it was an empty threat. When she didn't make a motion to move, he started to simply walk around her. Problem was, she moved into his path again. She raised an eyebrow challengingly. He made a quick motion to this left and again was blocked. Sighing as if in defeat, Nadya relaxed her stance, believing she had won. Smirking to himself inside, he made a mad dash to his right, passing a surprised Nadya. Just as he thought he had made it away from her, he felt her tackle him from behind and they fell towards the forest floor. Turning around to face her, he gasped her hands just in time. They grappled for a few more moments before he thought to glance at her face. The anger he had seen before was back and the corner of her lips were turned up slightly. It was then that he realized that she wasn't using much force in their wrestling. Catching on, he quickly trapped one of her legs and gave a strong bump with his hips, sending them both rolling to the right, emitting a small squeal from the shocked girl. Nadya could only look up, wondering just how their positions had been switched so easily.

"Give up?" the young demigod asked playfully, grinning from ear to ear.

"Never!" she replied, laughter soon following her response. It was infectious and soon they were both laughing on the forest floor, their wrestling attempts soon forgotten as their arms had a better use of holding their sides from splitting open.

Finally, their laughter dying out, Hercules propped himself on an elbow, looking at the girl who stared up at the canopy of tree leaves, a smile still gracing her face. Noting his directed gaze, she turned her head to look back.

"So why, Hercules, were you looking for me in the first place?"

Thinking a moment before answering, he said, "I was curious as to what happened to you in that class."

"With Fidicius? Why do you ask?"

"Well, it just seemed that, though he did deserve a slight lecture, you may have gone a bit over the edge."

The smile left her face at Hercules' statement. "He had no right to single me out like that."

"Look, I'm not challenging your intellect, as we can all admit you have a lot of, but I was wondering if Fidicius may have hit a soft spot."

Sighing to herself, she had to admit that Hercules was right. "I suppose he did." She looked down at her clasped palms resting on her stomach and mumbled a response.

"What was it?"

Shifting uncomfortably, she said once again, "I don't know how to read… or write. In your language." She added quickly, clearly afraid that Hercules would think that she didn't know how to write at all.

Hercules glared at her in shock. "Really? But you speak so well! Granted, you still have a bit of an accent, but even that is getting better," he said. "Not that your accent isn't nice because it is… well, as accents go, it's nice. Though I've never heard it before… but that doesn't mean-"

"Okay, I get it!" she exclaimed with a laugh at his obvious awkwardness.

"But… well, I don't suppose you would like some help with that? Not that you're not capable to learn it by yourself, but if you wanted some help…"

Turning her face back towards him, she responded, "I'd like that." Hercules breathed again, surprised that he had been holding his breath for her answer. A flush rose to his cheeks and he abruptly stood up, brushing himself off Nadya did the same.

"So, now whatever happened to this tree climbing business?"

"Huh?" the demigod gasped, not quite believing her.

Laughing at his response, she took a hold of his hand and began tugging him along a pathway. Hercules looked between her hand clasping his and the girl leading him to who knew where. Finally getting a hold of himself, he caught up to her to walk alongside her, not behind. And slowly the blush left his face, though he could not bring himself to let go of her hand.

It was a few minutes later that he realized that he had no idea where they were going, though he did gather that they were going uphill.

"I hate to ask this after you've already been leading me for quite a while, but where exactly are we going? I thought you wanted to climb trees?"

She looked over at him with a grin. "You'll see," then added, "Don't you trust me?"

He blinked at her. "It's not that I don't truth you, it's just that I've never been to this part of the forest before," he countered defensively.

"She touched her free index finger to her chin. "So, in other words, I'm making you nervous."

"Ididn't say that!" he argued, the familiar flush creeping onto his face again.

"Uh huh…. Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think you'll like what I have in mind." Taking a look at the young man, she could tell her words weren't very comforting, but his own pride refused to let him back down now.

After a few more minutes of walking along, Nadya finally came to a halt. Seeing nothing all that special, he gave a quizzical look towards her.

A bit of laughter came from the young woman. "Now we climb." To her surprise this time, the demigod made no objection. Leading him to a tree, she climbed up a couple branches, then lowered an arm to him.

Glancing at her outstretched hand, he grasped a hold of it and slowly made his way up the tree. Making it about halfway up the sturdy trunk, he came up to Nadya and took a seat beside her.

"This," she gestured in front of them, "is what I wanted you to see." Hercules followed her gaze and lost his breath at the sight.

They were perched on a branch overlooking one of the most beautiful sites he had ever seen. The tree they were sitting on overlooked a cliff of three hundred feet high. To their left, a waterfall cascaded down from the cliff's edge. Trees jutted out from the sides of the cliff, their leaves decorated the rocks. The basin of the waterfall was a soft blue colour, no cloudiness present in the water. Wildflowers were in abundance everywhere they looked as were vines that climbed all the trees and cliff walls. The sun sparkled brightly on the water's surface. Hercules could hardly pry his eyes away from it.

"I'll take this silence that you like it?" asked Nadya. Hercules gulped and simply nodded his head.

After a few more minutes passed, Hercules turned to Nadya. "So, you never did tell me where you were from."

Nadya started at the statement, throwing herself a bit off balance on the branch, though luckily Hercules placed his hand behind her back to steady her. "That is a bit of a more difficult question than you may believe."

"Try me."

"I really don't want to talk about this, okay? Change the subject," she said, staring stubbornly at a leaf facing away from him. Dumbfounded slightly, he merely gave her a curious look. "Nothing against you or anything, but I don't talk to a lot of people about it."

"Why's that?"

Sighing, she answered, "Look, there are some things about my past that really can't be explained all that well. I, myself, am still trying to put together the pieces." She looked back at Hercules and saw his expectant expression. "Oh all right! I'll tell you some of what I do know. From around the age of about seven years old, I grew up in a country north of here. So far north of here that we would get snow." Hercules started at this statement. "Anyway, I grew up there with my adoptive family. I knew that I was a handful, but they still stuck by me for which I will forever be grateful. I attended school there, or I suppose it could be called an academy, and to be perfectly honest, I went through the grades rather quickly. I graduated from secondary school when I was fifteen. I then went to a university in another country called Greece."

"What's a university? And this place you call Greece?" Nadya almost laughed at the latter question.

"A university is another academy, though the studies are must harder." Hercules just nodded his head at this. "And Greece is a country… well, it's pretty close to here you might say." Nadya grinned a bit at this, though Hercules didn't press her for the exact location.

"Anyway, when I was there, I met someone who asked a favour of me and that's how I ended up here."

"What was the favour?"

"Now _that_ is what I can not tell you."

At that, Hercules thought back to the competition at Kora's. "Does it have something to do with that pendent?"

Nadya just shook her head. "Sorry, Hercules, but I really can't say." Rather than pressing for more details, he let it go. She had already told him more than he thought she would say. And to be quite honest, the day was going too perfectly to spoil it with an argument over a simple pendent.

They sat there for the rest of the afternoon. Though there was not much talking, there was no awkwardness in their silence. They were content to just sit there and stare at the scenery, losing themselves in their thoughts. It wasn't until the sun was setting that they realized how late it had gotten.

"We should be heading back," Hercules said.

"I suppose we should," she replied. Looking down at the ground, she asked, "Do you need help getting down from here?"

Laughing a bit at this, he said, "I think I can manage."

Once back on the ground, they walked back to the academy talking about miscellaneous adventures that they had had in their lives as well as just the simple experiences from childhood. Though one topic that came up quite a lot was the look on poor Fidicius' face as an angry Nadya had chewed him out.


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I own nada

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Exams will be the death of me, though it seems for now I'm safe. Hope you enjoy this new chapter and have a happy holidays!

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For the next few days, Hercules was true to his word. After classes for the day, he would tutor Nadya with her writing. In return, she only felt it fair to help him build up his strength again. Within days, Nadya had learned the basis for the language as Hercules' strength returned enough for him to attend classes in the morning. Although, he silently wished that he didn't have to go to them as he now limped to Fidicius' class like the rest of his classmates.

It was after an especially grueling drill session that Hercules felt his anger flare up again.

A couple cadets walked past him on his way to class. "I can't believe what that bitch is making us do. I mean, she's insane. I want to know why Cheiron, or even Fidicius for that matter, put up with her."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But look at her though," the other said, giving a low whistle. "Just give me a few moments alone with her and she'll be putty in my hands."

The first one raised his eyebrow at his friend. Hercules recognized him as Ciaus as he wrinkled his brow. He had never really respected him at all. "Then why don't you. She's standing over there, all alone." He nodded his head over towards Nadya who was standing off to the side, gathering the weapons together that they had been using.

Hercules slowed his pace, not liking the direction the conversation was taking. Tullius, the other cadet, quickly muttered, "Maybe I will…."

Hercules quickly came up behind the two cadets, though hid himself behind a wagon just within earshot of Tullius. He cursed himself for not being able to hear what Ciaus was going to say, but he was at least thankful that he could view the scene at least. He saw Ciaus walk up to Nadya and stand a little to close for comfort. Nadya's stance to his approach was slightly taken aback, though as she took a step back to give her some room, he simply took and other step closer all the while talking to her in hushed tones. Hercules strained his ears to listen, but it was futile. They were just too far away.

Ciaus kept inching forward towards Nadya, forcing her to back up, whether she was conscious of this or not, Hercules did not know. Though he _did_ know that he wasn't liking the situation at all. Eventually Nadya seemed to realize that her back was pressed up against the barn wall. Her eyes seemed to be searching for an exit, but Ciaus seemed to have that covered as his arm came to rest against the barn, his face dangerously close to Nadya's. The young woman seemed too startled to do much at all. In fact, if Hercules didn't know better, he would have sworn that there was a flicker of fear in her stance, and most likely her eyes if he could see her that closely.

It wasn't until Ciaus abruptly leaned forward and kissed her forcefully on the lips that his anger reached its peak.

"Ciaus! Get your damn hands off her!" he shouted, racing over to where they were. Tullius looked like he was going to try to stop him, but the look in the demigod's eyes kept him at bay. Ciaus turned around fearfully at Hercules' voice. Nadya barely registered the demigod's presence and just stood there staring at a point in front of her.

Before a word could be said from Ciaus, Hercules had him pinned with his forearm under the chin against the barn. The other arm was pressed against the chest. The gasp that escaped Ciaus' lips seemed to wake Nadya and Tullius' stupors. Nadya stared at the scene in front of her, seemingly as though not knowing what to do. Tullius, on the other hand, gave a cry of anger and threw himself at Hercules, trying to pry the arms off to allow his friend to breathe.

Nadya watched on as Hercules lashed out, flinging Tullius as if he were nothing more than a child. Looking at his eyes, she lost her breath. The normally blue eyes were turning black. Coming to her senses, she threw herself at Hercules. With a few well placed hits, she had separated Ciaus from Hercules' grip and he fell to the ground, desperately crawling away from the enraged demigod. Seeing Hercules was not going to stop his attack on the other, she clung his chest to her in a frantic hug as he dug his hands into her upper arms.

She looked up into his dark eyes, searching for a way to bring him back. "Hercules… you have to fight it! This isn't who you are! After all that's happened to you, do you really want her to win?" A pained scream erupted from Hercules at her words, though he didn't attack her. "Please, don't let her win!" She buried her head in his chest, willing him silently to fight it.

Within seconds of Nadya's plea, Hercules' grip loosened dramatically. Looking back up to the eyes of the young man, she felt her heart skip a beat as the dark eyes shifted back to their former blue colour. Relief swept through her and all she could do was close her own eyes and lean her forehead into his chest.

"Nadya…?" she heard him ask softly. She nodded her head against him. At movement, he strengthened his grip on her once more, bringing his arms around her, desperately seeking some form of reassurance.

"Shhh… it's okay now. Everything's going to be okay," she soothed, rubbing a hand on his back. As she did so, his breathing became more regular and his body tensed less.

Finally breaking apart, Hercules and Nadya parted from one another and looked over to where Tullius and Ciaus were sitting on the ground. Both were looking at Hercules with faces mixed with fear and anger.

Gathering up his courage, Ciaus spat out, "What was that for, you bastard?! You nearly killed me!"

"And me!" Tullius chipped in, standing up threateningly, apparently not as injured as one would have thought from a throw like the one he was given. "But what else can we expect from the son of a god's whore?" Hercules started at this, but made no objection. "What? Not going to deny it? You're a menace to society! A half-breed mistake! Things like you don't belong in this world!"

Nadya glanced over to Hercules and saw defeat printed clearly over his features. Her own anger rose, not at Hercules' lack of response, but at Ciaus' influence on the young demigod.

Turning on her heel before anymore insults could be thrown, she stared Tullius down with the most furious face she could muster. "Who are you to be judge over others? He can't help what he is, just like you can't help who your parents are! He is the outcome of his mother's and Zeus' choosing. He didn't to be thrust into his position! I'm sure he has from time to time wished to be normal, but unfortunately that's not a possibility."

Ciaus scoffed at her defense. "You actually believe he would give up his strength just like that?"

"Why wouldn't he when he's constantly having people like you damning him for something he has no control over?"

Nadya felt a hand on her arm, trying to pull her back a bit. "Nadya, it's fine…."

"No, it's not!" she yelled back, yanking her arm out of his grasp. "He has no right to treat you like this!" Turning back to the two cadets, she threatened, "And if I ever hear you two spouting any of this bullshit again, I'll make it a point to give you both some extra attention in our morning classes. I wonder just how much you'd like doing two hundred laps around the academy?"

Tullius grew angry at her words, his fists clenching convulsively by his sides. "Oh? And what about Zeus' precious little son? He nearly killed us! And what did we do to deserve that?"

In an under tone, they all heard Ciaus mutter, "Not that Zeus even knows he exists…."

Glaring determinedly at Tullius instead of lashing out at Ciaus, she replied, "Don't worry. Hercules will be dealt with appropriately for his actions as Cheiron sees fit. And as for your latter question, I suggest you ask your friend." The last sentence almost came out as a hiss, unnerving the two cadets into silence. "Now I suggest you get to the dining hall before your next class." Both young men followed her order quietly, but not before shooting dark looks towards Hercules.

Once they were gone, Hercules voiced, "You didn't have to defend me like that. I _did_ almost kill them…. And as for Cheiron, well, I doubt very much that he'll allow me to stay at the academy after this." He looked down at his hands distractedly.

Keeping her eyes focused in front of her, she replied, "Let me worry about Cheiron, Hercules. I believe there is more to this than you may think." Her voice had a finality to it that left no room for discussion. "You should get to the dining hall as well, your friends must be wondering where you are." As he was about to argue her decision, she cut him off before he could start. "No, just get a bite to eat, go to your classes, and I'll sort this out."

To her immense relief, the demigod left without further encouragement, leaving her with her very troubled thoughts.

Nadya approached Cheiron's office not fifteen minutes later to find Tullius and Ciaus leaving the office, smug looks plastered on their faces. Catching her gaze, they broadened their smirks and walked haughtily to their class. They looked much too cocky to Nadya and a feeling of dread slowly crept up inside her. Taking a few more steps, she knocked quietly at Cheiron's door.

"Come in."

Standing beside the window stood a very weary looking centaur with his gaze directed out the window. She couldn't see his expression, but could gather that it would match the tone of his voice.

Shifting in discomfort, Nadya started, "It wasn't his fault, Cheiron. You've only heard one side to the story and I would like the opportunity to present my own viewpoint."

Cheiron sighed, averting his eyes to the desk tiredly. "And I would love to here it, Nadya." It almost sounded like a plea.

Not able to simply ignore the centaur's obvious distress, she asked, "I take it the side you were told wasn't a very flattering one. I suppose we could start there then. What did they tell you?"

"That Hercules attacked them, threw Tullius a fair distance which nearly resulted in a collision with the side of the academy building, and Ciaus being nearly crushed to death by Hercules' hands." Cheiron whipped his head towards her, anger springing to his eyes that made even her edgy. "And you did nothing to stop him!" he yelled.

She paused for a moment, thinking for the moment that those eyes that once held so much compassion could turn to so such rage…. "And you believe everything they say so easily?"

Eyes still blazing, he retorted, "Who am I to believe, Nadya? You? Or two cadets that I have seen grow up within this academy?"

"Yes, and what about these cadets? Have they always been so well behaved? Do those they both emanate the ideals of chivalry?" she questioned, causing a brow to be raised from Cheiron. "You would side with those two fools over Hercules, the very epitome of an honorable and just man?"

Shaking his head, Cheiron whispered, "I do not want to…."

Taking a few steps forward, Nadya urged, "Then don't." With that, she replayed the scene out to him, albeit leaving out what exactly Ciaus had said and done to her, though she did make sure to leave the same impact that giving that information would have done. Yet, even with her interpretation of events, it only seemed to make the centaur even more depressed, knowing Hercules had let his anger get the better of him.

"Just because he was angry does not mean he had the right to attack two fellow cadets."

Nodding, she said, "Yes, no doubt he was angry and would have come to my assistance, but under normal circumstances I believe he would do nothing more than yell a few angry words and perhaps give them a bit of a shove in the right direction."

Hope lightened Cheiron's features. "What do you mean by 'under normal circumstances?'"

Dropping her voice, she replied, "His eyes, Cheiron." The headmaster looked at her with confusion. "They were totally black. All of them. And if I didn't know better, I'd say they had the look of someone who was possessed. Now, no doubt Hercules has a lot of pent up anger, but it is my belief that someone is using that anger to their advantage."

"And to what purpose would that be?" Cheiron asked, sounding slightly doubtful.

"Perhaps to get Hercules to kill. Can you honestly not think of a reason that that would be?"

Thinking for a moment, Cheiron whispered, "To cancel the protection given to him by Zeus." At this, Nadya feigned confusion. "If Hercules were to kill an innocent, Zeus would have no choice but to lift the protection order. That, and when Hercules realizes what he has done…."

"It would devastate him," she finished. He nodded. "Any guesses who would do such a thing?"

Thinking a moment, he answered, "Any number of gods. Ares and Hera being the foremost threats. It seems that Hercules has not gained the favour of a few of his relatives over his short life."

"Then, only in my opinion of course, I believe this to not be the style of a war god. It doesn't seem as bold as it should be, more… manipulative. Reminds me of a woman I suppose," Nadya laughed bitterly.

"You would suggest Hera then?"

Raising her gaze to Cheiron, she answered, "That's what I was thinking. And once the protection is lifted, Hercules would be open to attack by all these so-called relatives." Pausing, she went on, "Look, I'm not saying Hercules shouldn't be punished, but perhaps his punishment should be served in another way."

Catching on, Cheiron put a hand to his chin. "I'll see what can be done about his anger." Turning to Nadya once more, he added, "Thank you, Nadya. I much prefer your side of the story, even if it is unsettling."

Hercules had gone through the day silently, though his friends had asked him what was wrong, not one of them was able to receive an acceptable answer. Granted, they were perceptive enough to realize there was tension their demigod friend and Tullius and Ciaus. The two cadets weren't saying anything either, but the smirks and glares directed towards Hercules were difficult to miss. Since they couldn't discern what was going on, they still didn't enjoy the looks the two were giving their tall friend. As such, they glared back, even if Hercules wouldn't. Iolaus even went so far as to start making the ruder of the gestures he knew.

Though even his friends' supports weren't enough to cheer him up. He had almost killed those two cadets! If Nadya hadn't calmed him down, he had no doubt that that scenario would have been highly possible. He had never felt such anger in his life. What was wrong with him?

"Hey, Herc." He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up in surprise to see Jason looking down at him. "Class is over." Glancing around, he saw that the classroom was nearly emptied. He wondered when that had happened and just how he hadn't seen it happen.

"Thanks, Jas." Getting up and heading towards the door, he saw Lilith give Jason a worried look. "I'm alright, guys. Just a bit tired."

Deciding to lighten up the mood, or perhaps just save Hercules from another interrogation from the rest of them, he wrapped an arm around hi taller friend's shoulder, "So, what would you be so tired about? Another escape with a certain gorgeous instruction? Eh?" He nudged Hercules playfully.

Theseus, catching on to Iolaus' idea, added, "So, how are you two getting along? Long nights by the shore of the lake? Dinners up a tree?"

Laughing for the first time that day, Hercules answered, "You know, I think I've told you all two, three, twelve times that nothing happened that day." Turning towards Lilith, he added, "And again, I'm sorry I worried you. That's the last time I'm going to apologize."

"And this is certainly not the last time I'll say this," Ioluas countered, "I-do-not-believe-you." Hercules elbowed him playfully off him.

"Riiight…." Theseus said. "Up in a tree, overlooking a waterfall, not realizing it was so late until the sun were going down. I have to say, sounds like a pretty romantic moment to me."

"Yeah, yeah, look," Hercules defended himself, holding up his hands, "you can believe whatever you like, but nothing happened. I went to see if she were okay, found her in a tree, took a walk, and ended up-"

"-Taking a rest in a tree in a beautiful setting," Jason interrupted.

Huffing slightly, Hercules stopped trying to talk sense into them and merely folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Speaking of Nadya," Lilith said. "I didn't see her in classes today. I wonder why?"

Giving in finally, Hercules said, "There was an incident this morning that involved Ciaus and Tullius." Seeing the expectant looks on his friends' faces, he went on, "They were harassing Nadya after morning drills. I don't really know why, but I snapped and let my anger get the better of me." He hesitated, then added, "I nearly killed them."

Shocked faces surrounded him. "But," Theseus spoke up, "both of them looked fine today beyond a couple scratches and bruises."

Hanging his head down, he answered, "Only because Nadya stopped me…. I don't know what got into me." He took a look around and saw Lilith about to question him further. "Look, it's been a long day for me already and… I just need to be alone for a while, okay?" He almost begged with the last sentence. Perhaps it was the look of desperation or the pain reflected in his face, but whatever it was, not one of them argued.

"Alright, buddy," Jason said. "Just don't beat yourself up on this. Maybe call it an early night tonight."

"It'll all look better in the morning. And I'm sure Cheiron will listen to reason," Theseus added while Lilith nodded her head hopefully.

"Thanks," Hercules said. "I'm just going to take a walk. I'll see you guys later tonight." With that, he received waves of goodbye and he walked in the direction of the barns."

The rest of the group started walking towards the main academy building. Stopping abruptly, Lilith asked behind her, "Hey, Iolaus, you coming to dinner or what?"

Placing a hand on Lilith's shoulder, Jason said, "Let him go, Lilith. He knows Hercules best." Turning towards Iolaus, he added, "Good luck, bud."

Nodding in understanding, Iolaus walked resolutely to the barns, eyes searching for his friend. The others watched him until he was out of sight, then resumed a silent walk to the dining hall.

After checking a couple barns thoroughly and still coming up short, Iolaus tried the second last barn, though he tried not to let his hopes get too high. Searching the loft first and not finding Hercules, he then started on the stalls and came upon his friend crouched on some hay. Hercules didn't seem to have noticed Iolaus yet, continuing to stare at his feet, his face hidden by his hair. Iolaus stood there for a few more moments, not quite able to speak. His once energetic and fearless friend now looked so… defeated. Like all the world had turned their back on him and not seemed to have noticed.

Not able to stand seeing the sight anymore, he broke the stoic silence. "Hey, Herc." Hercules barely lifted his head at the words. His hair was no longer covering his face, but it still remained in shadows. "Mind if I join you?" No response Iolaus took that as a positive sign and walked in, taking a seat to Hercules' right. He tried to get a better view of the demigod's face, but Hercules merely lowered it a bit, masking his face once more with hair.

They sat there for a while, Hercules remaining in a daze while Iolaus listened distractedly to the other's irratic breathing. He debated with himself for a while as to what to do, torn between perhaps hurting the other's pride by acknowledging the few drops of tears that had fallen to the ground or enclosing the friend in a comforting embrace no matter what it would do to Hercules' pride.

"I could have killed them," Hercules whispered painfully, interrupting Iolaus' silent debate.

Sending the former option to Tartarus, he enveloped Hercules in a hug, resting his cheek on the taller boy's head and patted his back. Hercules immediately sobbed and clung with one hand into Iolaus' arm. He couldn't hold it in any longer. His worst fear had surfaced and he couldn't control himself. For the first time in his life, he had felt totally helpless, locked within a beast. He had rested comfortably before believing that he had conquered that fear of being himself, but now it hit him full force that that fear was still within grasp.

It terrified him.

Iolaus didn't know what else to do beyond hold his friend. He had never been put in this situation before and felt entirely too awkward, though that didn't stop him from tyring the best he could.

About ten minutes later, Hercules had calmed down significantly, allowing Iolaus to sit back to his original position, although he still looked worriedly at his friend.

"It's not your fault, you know," Iolaus stated gently. "I'm sure if any one of us was to be put in the same situation we'd have done the same thing." Hercules remained mute, though he did nod faintly at the words. "And I'm sure Nadya will have a talk with Cheiron about this. I mean, Tullius and Ciaus have always been known to be jerks and besides, they weren't all that hurt when we saw them today. Cheiron'll have to take that into account." He patted Hercules once more on the shoulder, hoping to get a response.

"It doesn't matter though," Hercules said, his voice hoarse. "I still could have killed them. I couldn't stop myself! It was like I was watching it all happen from the sidelines. I couldn't calm down no matter how much I knew what I was doing was wrong." He placed his head in his hands. "I really am a danger to everyone."

Turning sharply towards Hercules, Iolaus said, "No, you're not! Look at me Herc." When the demigod didn't respond, Iolaus grabbed the other's shoulders roughly and shook them. "Look at me!" This time Hercules looked slowly up to meet his gaze. "Don't think any of that for a second. Look at all that you've done over the past couple years while we've been here! You can't ignore that fact that you've done a good many things for others, and _that _more than makes up for this morning. And about you being a demigod… well, nobody can help who their parents are." Iolaus paused a bit before adding, "I should know."

Shaking his head, Hercules whispered, "At least _your _father knows you're alive."

Iolaus was at a loss and opted for not saying anything, somehow knowing that Hercules simply wasn't expecting an answer. Instead, he just sat there, hoping that just his presence would be enough.

Hercules thanked him silently, knowing that he was lucky to have such a loyal friend. Still, he couldn't help but think life would be so much easier if he had been born as just human. And he damned his father right then and there for the curse of his existence before falling back into his depressive state.


	7. Chapter Seven

The next day, Hercules was asked by Fiducius to see the headmaster after the end of classes. And of course the teacher had to announce it in front of the entire class. The young demigod wasn't all too sure whether he was simply trying to punish him or just didn't think much of the humiliation that would no doubt come after such a request. Either way, he wished he could sink into the ground.

Entering the headmaster's office, he silently thanked Iolaus and Jason for coming with him. The others were assigned to after school duties, though they gave their regrets before going to them. Entering the office he saw Nadya, though he wasn't surprised. She gave him a warm nod, though her face still retained its detached and calculating look of old. He wondered if she practiced it in her spare time. Directly to her right, he was set on edge by the presence of Fiducius. He, unlike the other two, had a stern look to him and seemed to be watching Hercules' motions as though he were afraid the young cadet would attack.

"Jason and Iolaus," Cheiron began, "You may leave for the time being." The two young warriors looked as though they were about to argue, but were given a look from Hercules that said it was okay with him. They left without a look, though Iolaus seemed hurt and worried as he left.

Nadya stopped Iolaus at the door. "Don't worry, Iolaus," she whispered away from Hercules and Jason. "I'll leave him in one piece." Not knowing how else to calm the agitated youth, she gave him a smirk and pushed him almost playfully out the door before closing it. Hercules noticed, however, and found himself becoming more and more agitated with the changes in personality Nadya seemed to have. And also the quickness that she seemed to switch between the disciplined and serious role to that of a compassionate, almost playful and childlike young woman.

Shaking his head, he focused back on Cheiron. "What's the plan?"

Cheiron gave him a calculating look then started. "Hercules, understand one thing before we continue. Nadya nor I have the ability to protect you fully from Hera. Being a goddess, she has a wealth of power that even your physical powers cannot combat. She seems to have gained access to your emotions, or rather your mind, a truly worrying prospect as it seems that she can provoke your emotions. In this case, your anger." Fiducius, Hercules noted, did not seem startled. He must have been informed beforehand. "Taking this into account, I have decided that you are to remain in a more isolated building outside of the academy for the nights and will remain under constant supervision during the days by either myself, Fiducius, or Nadya."

Fiducius seemed a less than eased by this proposal. "Headmaster, I am afraid that I must speak up here. If Hercules were to attack as he already has, I will not be able to stop him." He looked darkly at the demigod. "He is out of control and I am afraid that it may be already too late to save him. If Hera already has the means to provoke him, as you say, then I have no doubt that another attack will happen." Nadya seemed about to interrupt, but was silenced by Fiducius' raised voice. "It is part of my duties to protect these students from any danger. Hercules, even though not of his own free will, has become a danger. I cannot with good conscience advise anything else than to ban Hercules from the academy!"

Nadya took a couple steps in Fiducius' direction with a raised hand and anger in her eyes, though Cheiron was quicker and grabbed her hand. Surprised, she glared back at the headmaster.

"Fiducius has a right to voice his opinion, Nadya. And I have taken the dangers into consideration, Fiducius." The teacher looked angered at the direction Cheiron's answer seemed to be heading towards. "But I have decided that to deny Hercules shelter at the academy is as good as a death sentence. Hera can influence him at any time and to send him out of the academy may just be what she wishes. Here, at least, there are students that can defend themselves and who are ready for an attack. Also, having Hercules sleep away from the academy is one measure that I think is necessary, Nadya." A frown furrowed her brow, obviously concerned for the isolation Hercules would be subjected to. "While sleeping, Hercules may be more susceptible to Hera's influence. This may help to keep the students safe at night as well as keep Hercules safe as well."

Nadya seemed deep in thought at this then nodded her compliance. So many things seemed unfair for Hercules and was just starting to fully grasp the idea of living in a dysfunctional family was truly like. A sudden anger burned in her at the thought of Hera and what she imagined what she wished she could do to the goddess if she were there. Perhaps one day she would get her chance.

Hercules said nothing, though he also nodded his acknowledgement. He didn't really know what to say. What Cheiron said made sense, though he was still terrified that even with these precautions he could still be a danger as Fiducius said. Leaving the academy made sense, though a life of isolation until Hera lost interest in this tactic against him left a sunken feeling in his chest. Still, his heart was telling him that staying was the worst choice he could make for everyone.

Cheiron and Fiducius continued planning for Hercules. Nadya studied Hercules intently. He shivered at her gaze and could almost feel her searching his thoughts. Her grey-blue eyes seemed to pierce through him like a dagger. He was forced to avert his attention to the other two men instead, yet knowing that the chances of these plans being met were slim to none. He wouldn't allow his anger to get out of control again, Hera or not.

Nadya stayed silent the entire meeting. She heard every word that went on between the two men, but did not add any helpful strategies. Apparently she wouldn't need it. Hercules was going to run

Iolaus, Lilith, Jason, and Theseus were the furthest things from his mind as he was being led towards his new home by Cheiron and Fiducius. Nadya had been ordered to stay behind and keep everything in control at the academy. She resigned herself to the task, startling Hercules with her passivity. Shrugging it off, he continued making plans to leave the academy as the three continued walking.

The hut they had planned was in a bit of disrepair, though Cheiron promised to have it properly cleaned and serviceable within the week. For now, he was afraid that Hercules was just going to have to rough it. Hercules, of course, paid little attention to the hut and kept persuading the headmaster that it was just fine. Fiducius scoffed at the wreck of a building, but reserved his comments to himself. This was no time to be choosy when it came to getting the dangerous cadet off the academy's grounds, even if only for the nights.

Hercules surveyed the grounds after the two men left. He had to admit that the hut was good enough to live in as long as his meals were eaten at the academy. The option of staying was almost too great and almost made him go back on his intentions. All he needed to keep his mind firm against the idea was the thought of his friends suffering through him because of Hera's wrath.

Thinking of Hera and her constant attacks on his life angered him. How was she getting away with this when there was a protection order? He would have loved to inform Zeus, but he couldn't very well do that seeing as his father constantly ignored him. What else was new?

For once in a very long time, he felt alone. His academy, his home, was being taken away from him. His friends with it. The most secure place he had ever felt beyond inside his mother's home had been at the academy. There he met new friends, though Iolaus was always a constant. The two of them had been through everything together. The thought of leaving without even saying goodbye made his stomach wretch. But he knew that the moment he saw him again, he'd be too tempted to stay, putting his best friend in danger by none other than himself, something that he could never bear to do.

He went about making a fire for the night. Staring into the flames, he could already feel his eyes burning with a few tears. If he was going to do it, now was as good a time as any. Pouring water on the flames, he grabbed his unpacked bag, taking a last look towards the direction of the academy. He silently said a goodbye to his friends, hoping they would understand.

Nadya watched anxiously as the group reentered the academy grounds, each, except for Fiducius, having a worn out expression. Straightening her back, she approached Cheiron.

"He is settled then."

"Yes. He will be fine there for the time being." Nadya nodded and made to leave when Cheiron placed a hand on her shoulder, staying her. "He will get through this, Nadya. Trust in him."

Scoffing, Nadya shrugged his hand away. "Do you truly believe that I would need consoling, headmaster? Direct your attentions wisely to those that need them."

Cheiron gave her a calculated look, muttering under his breath, "Youth…" Shaking his head, he continued, "If that is the case, then you and I must put our heads together to solve this problem. Hera will never leave him alone. Come to my office tomorrow before classes. I will ask Fiducius and the others to come as well," indicating the four friends across the training grounds. With that, he walked off in the direction of this office.

Nadya sighed, looking up at the failing light from the sunset. She waited as patiently as she could for the last remaining cadets to head into the building for the night. She could already feel that it was going to be a long night.

Finally, after everyone had left, she stealthily gathered her weaponry from her room and exited as quietly as she had entered.

Glancing towards the building from the gates, she noticed Cheiron through his open office window pouring his attentions into scrolls across his desk.

"You're going to have to find a clue without me, old man." Shifting the weight of the arrows on her back, she raced through the woods, heading in the direction of the hut, feeling the presence of _her_ at her back. How was she supposed to make this right again?


End file.
